Back in early August, when it was clear that the Floating Bridge was going to be out of service for longer than the Isle of Wight council (IWC) expected – it was supposed to be ten days and ended up being 13 weeks – News OnTheWight put a series of questions to the council.
They said they couldn’t answer them at the time, but as the floating bridge went back into service this week, we thought we’d chase them up again. IWC came back to us within a few hours with the following replies (not all questions have been answered).
IWC claims of not knowing
The most noteworthy being that IWC claim that they don’t know what parts of the FB6 failed. They say they are, “awaiting a report from the contactors which we expect will give details of this”.
News OnTheWight had been told that there was metal in the hydraulic fluid. We asked them what caused this. They again claimed they were awaiting the contractor’s report, which they hoped would inform them.
This is despite IWC stating on 29th August,
“It is important that the work to identify the root cause of the issues with the hydraulic system is as thorough as possible and this work has taken longer than anticipated.
“Once the full reports are received from the engineers, we can plan to resolve the issues, establish the time it will take to complete the works and to resume the service.”
The questions and replies
Q: Please give details of the “major fault with the hydraulic system” on FB6
The fault observed was that the hydraulic system was not operating as expected, meaning that the rams were not powered sufficiently.
Q: We have heard that there is ‘metal’ in the hydraulic fluid of FB6. What is causing that?
We are awaiting a report from the contactors which we expect will give details of this.
Q: How will it be rectified?
To rectify the fault, the hydraulic rams have been removed, stripped down, inspected and have been rebuilt; the hydraulic system has been flushed and repairs to the hydraulic pumps and motors have been undertaken.
Q: Is FB6 legally allowed to run now (does it have all of the necessary sign offs to allow it to run with this problem)?
The vessel is now fit for service, has returned to use and is legally allowed to do so. Before the work was undertaken IWC took the decision to remove the craft from service and so the question did not arise as to whether it was legally allowed to run. As standard practice, we advised the MCA when the vessel returned to service.
Q: What could happen if the FB6 continues to run with the metal in the hydraulic fluid?
The council took the decision to remove the vessel from service because of the faults reported. If it had continued to run it without repairs there was the possibility that further faults would develop.
Q: What needs to be done to fix the problem?
To rectify the fault, the hydraulic rams have been removed, stripped down, inspected and have been rebuilt; the hydraulic system has been flushed and repairs to the hydraulic pumps and motors have been undertaken.
Q: How much will it cost to fix?
We are waiting for the final accounts, so no figure is yet available.
Q: How long would it normally take and cost to fix at a non-urgent ‘emergency’ rate?
We have not sought prices for this work on the vessel at any other time.
Q: Are IWC pleased with the operational performance of the Floating Bridge 6?
Because of the possibly of future proceedings nothing further can be said at this time.
Q: Given the number of apparent mechanical failures FB6 has had, does IWC have any concerns at the design of FB6?
Because of the possibly of future proceedings nothing further can be said at this time.
Q: Given the number of apparent mechanical failures FB6 has had, does IWC have any concerns at the quality of the construction of the FB6?
Because of the possibly of future proceedings nothing further can be said at this time.
Q: Have IWC been specifically informed what parts of the FB6 have failed?
We are awaiting a report from the contactors which we expect will give details of this.
Q: How long do you anticipate it will be before the FB6 back in service?
The vessel returned to service on 20 October
Q: Did IWC expect FB6 to need such a high number days out of service when it was ordered?
Because of the possibly of future proceedings nothing further can be said at this time.
Q: Did Wight Shipyard carry out any work on FB6’s hydraulics, as IWC announced in July 2018?
Wight Shipyard did work on the vessel for noise mitigation works. They did not in the end do any works on the hydraulics.
Image: © With kind permission of Allan Marsh
